2 Peter 1 · a question people ask

"that through these you may become partakers of the divine nature" (1:4). What does that mean?

In the text

Here are the verses as the WEB has them: "seeing that his divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and virtue," (1:3) "by which he has granted to us his precious and exceedingly great promises; that through these you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world by lust." (1:4). These notes don't explain it further, and they set no other verse beside it.

The verses

“seeing that his divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and virtue, by which he has granted to us his precious and exceedingly great promises; that through these you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world by lust.”
2 Peter 1:3-4 · World English Bible

From Favor's study of 2 Peter 1

2 Peter 1: Life and godliness

Behind like precious (1:1) is a word the New Testament has only here, and behind promises (1:4) a noun the New Testament has only twice, both in this letter.

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Last reviewed October 12, 2026. Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. Every answer cites the verses it rests on. What we believe · All Bible questions